REDLANDS – Citrus Valley couldn’t knock off visiting San Gorgonio in what had been labeled as the toughest football game in the Blackhawks’ history as the Spartans rolled, 27-9, at Robert J. Hodges Stadium on Friday.

Coming off a season in which Citrus Valley (0-1) played smaller-school foes and compiled a 9-2 record while picking up its first Mountain Valley League title, coach Pete Smolin’s team bulked up its schedule with larger, more challenging nonleague opponents.

San Gorgonio (1-0) lived up to its billing as one of them in the season opener for both teams.

Spartans coach Ron Gueringer said he was happy with how his young team responded.

“We started 12 sophomores, so this is a great effort,” Gueringer said. “This tells me the future is bright.”

In the first quarter, with Citrus Valley knocking on the door, senior running back Taylor Smith fumbled near the goal line and the ball dribbled out the back of the San Gorgonio end zone for a touchback.

After an 80-yard Rashed-Mills touchdown run was called back for holding, Rashed-Mills hit receiver Nathan Meadors on a 27-yard scoring pass and Luis Limas added the extra point to make it 7-0 with just over a minute to play in the quarter.

At the 7:49 mark in the second, Spartans running back Melik Jackson scored to make it 14-0. Limas added a 32-yard field goal with just under a minute to play before halftime, but Citrus Valley marched down the field and answered with a 23-yard field goal from Kyle McCafferty to cut the gap to 17-3 at the break.